the antiquities of the jews-1-第4章

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grant　that　the　earth　might　never　again　undergo　the　like　effects
of　'his　wrath；　that　men　might　be　permitted　to　go　on　cheerfully　in
cultivating　the　same；　to　build　cities；　and　live　happily　in　them；
and　that　they　might　not　be　deprived　of　any　of　those　good　things
which　they　enjoyed　before　the　Flood；　but　might　attain　to　the　like
length　of　days；　and　old　age；　which　the　ancient　people　had　arrived
at　before。

8。　When　Noah　had　made　these　supplications；　God；　who　loved　the　man
for　his　righteousness；　granted　entire　success　to　his　prayers；　and
said；　that　it　was　not　he　who　brought　the　destruction　on　a
polluted　world；　but　that　they　underwent　that　vengeance　on　account
of　their　own　wickedness；　and　that　he　had　not　brought　men　into　the
world　if　he　had　himself　determined　to　destroy　them；　it　being　an
instance　of　greater　wisdom　not　to　have　granted　them　life　at　all；
than；　after　it　was　granted；　to　procure　their　destruction；　〃But
the　injuries；〃　said　he；　〃they　offered　to　my　holiness　and　virtue；
forced　me　to　bring　this　punishment　upon　them。　But　I　will　leave
off　for　the　time　to　come　to　require　such　punishments；　the　effects
of　so　great　wrath；　for　their　future　wicked　actions；　and
especially　on　account　of　thy　prayers。　But　if　I　shall　at　any　time
send　tempests　of　rain；　in　an　extraordinary　manner；　be　not
affrighted　at　the　largeness　of　the　showers；　for　the　water　shall
no　more　overspread　the　earth。　However；　I　require　you　to　abstain
from　shedding　the　blood　of　men；　and　to　keep　yourselves　pure　from
murder；　and　to　punish　those　that　commit　any　such　thing。　I　permit
you　to　make　use　of　all　the　other　living　creatures　at　your
pleasure；　and　as　your　appetites　lead　you；　for　I　have　made　you
lords　of　them　all；　both　of　those　that　walk　on　the　land；　and　those
that　swim　in　the　waters；　and　of　those　that　fly　in　the　regions　of
the　air　on　high；　excepting　their　blood；　for　therein　is　the　life。
But　I　will　give　you　a　sign　that　I　have　left　off　my　anger　by　my
bow　＇whereby　is　meant　the　rainbow；　for　they　determined　that　the
rainbow　was　the　bow　of　God＇。　And　when　God　had　said　and　promised
thus；　he　went　away。

9。　Now　when　Noah　had　lived　three　hundred　and　fifty　years　after
the　Flood；　and　that　all　that　time　happily；　he　died；　having　lived
the　number　of　nine　hundred　and　fifty　years。　But　let　no　one；　upon
comparing　the　lives　of　the　ancients　with　our　lives；　and　with　the
few　years　which　we　now　live；　think　that　what　we　have　said　of　them
is　false；　or　make　the　shortness　of　our　lives　at　present　an
argument；　that　neither　did　they　attain　to　so　long　a　duration　of
life；　for　those　ancients　were　beloved　of　God；　and　＇lately＇　made
by　God　himself；　and　because　their　food　was　then　fitter　for　the
prolongation　of　life；　might　well　live　so　great　a　number　of　years：
and　besides；　God　afforded　them　a　longer　time　of　life　on　account
of　their　virtue；　and　the　good　use　they　made　of　it　in　astronomical
and　geometrical　discoveries；　which　would　not　have　afforded　the
time　of　foretelling　＇the　periods　of　the　stars＇　unless　they　had
lived　six　hundred　years；　for　the　great　year　is　completed　in　that
interval。　Now　I　have　for　witnesses　to　what　I　have　said；　all　those
that　have　written　Antiquities；　both　among　the　Greeks　and
barbarians；　for　even　Manetho；　who　wrote　the　Egyptian　History；　and
Berosus；　who　collected　the　Chaldean　Monuments；　and　Mochus；　and
Hestieus；　and；　besides　these；　Hieronymus　the　Egyptian；　and　those
who　composed　the　Phoenician　History；　agree　to　what　I　here　say：
Hesiod　also；　and　Hecatseus；　Hellanicus；　and　Acusilaus；　and；
besides　these；　Ephorus　and　Nicolaus　relate　that　the　ancients
lived　a　thousand　years。　But　as　to　these　matters；　let　every　one
look　upon　them　as　he　thinks　fit。

CHAPTER　4。

Concerning　The　Tower　Of　Babylon；　And　The　Confusion　Of　Tongues。

1。　Now　the　sons　of　Noah　were　three；　…　Shem；　Japhet；　and　Ham；　born
one　hundred　years　before　the　Deluge。　These　first　of　all　descended
from　the　mountains　into　the　plains；　and　fixed　their　habitation
there；　and　persuaded　others　who　were　greatly　afraid　of　the　lower
grounds　on　account　of　the　flood；　and　so　were　very　loath　to　come
down　from　the　higher　places；　to　venture　to　follow　their　examples。
Now　the　plain　in　which　they　first　dwelt　was　called　Shinar。　God
also　commanded　them　to　send　colonies　abroad；　for　the　thorough
peopling　of　the　earth；　that　they　might　not　raise　seditions　among
themselves；　but　might　cultivate　a　great　part　of　the　earth；　and
enjoy　its　fruits　after　a　plentiful　manner。　But　they　were　so　ill
instructed　that　they　did　not　obey　God；　for　which　reason　they　fell
into　calamities；　and　were　made　sensible；　by　experience；　of　what
sin　they　had　been　guilty：　for　when　they　flourished　with　a
numerous　youth；　God　admonished　them　again　to　send　out　colonies；
but　they；　imagining　the　prosperity　they　enjoyed　was　not　derived
from　the　favor　of　God；　but　supposing　that　their　own　power　was　the
proper　cause　of　the　plentiful　condition　they　were　in；　did　not
obey　him。　Nay；　they　added　to　this　their　disobedience　to　the
Divine　will；　the　suspicion　that　they　were　therefore　ordered　to
send　out　separate　colonies；　that；　being　divided　asunder；　they
might　the　more　easily　be　Oppressed。

2。　Now　it　was　Nimrod　who　excited　them　to　such　an　affront　and
contempt　of　God。　He　was　the　grandson　of　Ham；　the　son　of　Noah；　a
bold　man；　and　of　great　strength　of　hand。　He　persuaded　them　not　to
ascribe　it　to　God；　as　if　it　was　through　his　means　they　were
happy；　but　to　believe　that　it　was　their　own　courage　which
procured　that　happiness。　He　also　gradually　changed　the　government
into　tyranny；　seeing　no　other　way　of　turning　men　from　the　fear　of
God；　but　to　bring　them　into　a　constant　dependence　on　his　power。
He　also　said　he　would　be　revenged　on　God；　if　he　should　have　a
mind　to　drown　the　world　again；　for　that　he　would　build　a　tower
too　high　for　the　waters　to　be　able　to　reach！　and　that　he　would
avenge　himself　on　God　for　destroying　their　forefathers　！

3。　Now　the　multitude　were　very　ready　to　follow　the　determination
of　Nimrod；　and　to　esteem　it　a　piece　of　cowardice　to　submit　to
God；　and　they　built　a　tower；　neither　sparing　any　pains；　nor　being
in　any　degree　negligent　about　the　work：　and；　by　reason　of　the
multitude　of　hands　employed　in　it；　it　grew　very　high；　sooner　than
any　one　could　expect；　but　the　thickness　of　it　was　so　great；　and
it　was　so　strongly　built；　that　thereby　its　great　height　seemed；
upon　the　view；　to　be　less　than　it　really　was。　It　was　built　of
burnt　brick；　cemented　together　with　mortar；　made　of　bitumen；　that
it　might　not　be　liable　to　admit　water。　When　God　saw　that　they
acted　so　madly；　he　did　not　resolve　to　destroy　them　utterly；　since
they　were　not　grown　wiser　by　the　destruction　of　the　former
sinners；　but　he　caused　a　tumult　among　them；　by　producing　in　them
divers　languages；　and　causing　that；　through　the　multitude　of
those　languages；　they　should　not　be　able　to　understand　one
another。　The　place　wherein　they　built　the　tower　is　now　called
Babylon；　because　of　the　confusion　of　that　language　which　they
readily　understood　before；　for　the　Hebrews　mean　by　the　word
Babel；　confusion。　The　Sibyl　also　makes　mention　of　this　tower；　and
of　the　confusion　of　the　language；　when　she　says　thus：　〃When　all
men　were　of　one　language；　some　of　them　built　a　high　tower；　as　if
they　would　thereby　ascend　up　to　heaven；　but　the　gods　sent　storms
of　wind　and　overthrew　the　tower；　and　gave　every　one　his　peculiar
language；　and　for　this　reason　it　was　that　the　city　was　called
Babylon。〃　But　as　to　the　plan　of　Shinar；　in　the　country　of
Babylonia；　Hestiaeus　mentions　it；　when　he　says　thus：　〃Such　of　the
priests　as　were　saved；　took　the　sacred　vessels　of　Jupiter
Enyalius；　and　came　to　Shinar　of　Babylonia。〃

CHAPTER　5。

After　What　Manner　The　Posterity　Of　Noah　Sent　Out　Colonies；　And
Inhabited　The　Whole　Earth。

1。　After　this　they　were　dispersed　abroad；　on　account　of　their
languages；　and　went　out　by　colonies　every　where；　and　each　colony
took　possession　of　that　land　which　they　light　upon；　and　unto
which　God　led　them；　so　that　the　whole　continent　was　filled　with
them；　both　the　inland　and　the　maritime　countries。　There　were　some
also　who　passed　over　the　sea　in　ships；　and　inhabited　the　islands：
and　some　of　those　nations　do　still　retain　the　denominations　which
were　given　them　by　their　first　founders；　but　some　have　lost　them
also；　and　some　have　only　admitted　certain　changes　in　them；　that
they　might　be　the　more　intelligible　to　the　inhabitants。　And　they
were　the　Greeks　who　became　the　authors　of　such　mutations。　For
when　in　after…ages　they　grew　potent；　they　claimed　to　themselves
the　glory　of　antiquity；　giving　names　to　the　nations　that　sounded
well　（in　Greek）　that　they　might　be　better　understood　among
themselves；　and　setting　agreeable　forms　of　government　over　them；
as　if　they　were　a　people　derived　from　themselves。

CHAPTER　6。

How　Every　Nation　Was　Denominated　From　Their
First　Inhabitants。

1。　Now　they　were　the　grandchildren　of　Noah；　in　honor　of　whom
names　were　imposed　on　the　nations　by　those　that　first　seized　upon
them。　Japhet；　the　son　of　Noah；　had　seven　sons：　they　inhabited　so；
that；　beginning　at　the　mountains　Taurus　and　Amanus；　they
proceeded　along　Asia；　as　far　as　the　river　Tansis；　and　along
Europe　to　Cadiz；　and　settling　themselves　on　the　lands　which　they
light　upon；　which　none　had　inhabited　before；　they　called　the
nations　by　their　own　names。　For　Gomer　founded　those　whom　the
Greeks　now　call　Galatians；　＇Galls；＇　but　were　then　called
Gomerites。　Magog　founded　those　that　from　him　were　named
Magogites；　but　who　are　by　the　Greeks　called　Scythians。　Now　as　to
Javan　and　Madai；　the　sons　of　Japhet；　from　Madai　came　the　Madeans；
who　are　called　Medes；　by　the　Greeks；　but　from　Javan；　Ionia；　and
all　the　Grecians；　are　derived。　Thobel　founded　the　Thobelites；　who
are　now　called　Iberes；　and　the　Mosocheni　were　founded　by　Mosoch；
now　they　are　Cappadocians。　There　is　also　a　mark　of　their　ancient
denomination　still　to　be　shown；　for　there　is　even　now　among　them
a　city　called　Mazaca；　which　may　inform　those　that　are　able　to
understand；　that　so　was　the　entire　nation　once　called。　Thiras
also　called　those　whom　he　ruled　over　Thirasians；　but　the　Greeks
changed　the　name　into　Thracians。　And　so　many　were　the　countries
that　had　the　children　of　Japhet　for　their　inhabitants。　Of　the
three　sons　of　Gomer；　Aschanax　founded　the　Aschanaxians；　who　are
now　called　by　the　Greeks　Rheginians。　So　did　Riphath　found　the
Ripheans；　now　called　Paphlagonians；　and　Thrugramma　the
Thrugrammeans；　who；　as　the　Greeks　resolved；　were　named　Phrygians。
Of　the　three　sons　of　Javan　also；　the　son　of　Japhet；　Elisa　gave
name　to　the　Eliseans；　who　were　his　subjects；　they　are　now　the
Aeolians。　Tharsus　to　the　Tharsians；　for　so　was　Cilicia　of　old
called；　the　sign　of　which　is　this；　that　the　noblest　city　they
have；　and　a　metropolis　also；　is　Tarsus；　the　tau　being　by　change
put　for　the　theta。　Cethimus　possessed　the　island　Cethima：　it　is
now　called　Cyprus；　and　from　that　it　is　that　all　islands；　and　the
greatest　part　of　the　sea…coasts；　are　named　Cethim　by　the　Hebrews：
and　one　city　there　is　in　Cyprus　that　has　been　able　to　preserve
its　denomination；　it　has　been　called　Citius　by　those　who　use　the
language　of　the　Greeks；　and　has　not；　by　the　use　of　that　dialect；
escaped　the　name　of　Cethim。　And　so　many　nations　have　the　children
and